Les Farfadais

What Les Farfadais does

Les Farfadais is a French contemporary circus company ("cirque nouveau") founded in 1998 in Paris by brothers Alexandre and Stéphane Haffner, headquartered in Le Bar Sur Loup (Alpes-Maritimes) with a second facility in Barcelona. The company designs and performs full theatrical shows (Âme, AirOtic, Éveil, Vitrail, Euphoria, Chronos, Mana, Tease) and a portfolio of 16+ discrete circus acts (hoop, rope, straps, pole dance, hand-to-hand, aerial), all built on custom in-house apparatus — including the signature 6m aerial starfish, Ovum giant egg, Diva Volante, Ferris wheel, spiral, and rose structures — combined with 1,000+ handmade costumes produced in the company's own sewing workshop. Les Farfadais deliberately produces all visual effects through human engineering and physical performance, with no AI or digital augmentation.

The company operates a dual B2B/B2C commercial model. B2B revenue comes from custom and catalog bookings for corporate galas, VIP receptions, themed branded performances, private celebrations, theater seasons, and festivals — priced on a quote basis and booked through a professional area on the company's website. B2C revenue is generated through ticketed public residencies, principally AirOtic Soirée, a 1h30 adult cabaret-circus running in Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, New York (HK Hall), and Lisboa, sold through dedicated portals and third-party platforms including Ticketone, Vivaticket, Fever, and Verona Box Office. Named enterprise customers span Opéra National de Paris, Club Med, Française des Jeux, Disneyland Paris, French Prime Minister's Office, Celebrity Cruises, Riyadh Season, Atlantis, and Alexis Gruss.

Geographically the company is active in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the United States, and Saudi Arabia, with 2026 expansion anchored by the Vitrail premiere in Italy/France and the Âme Italian theater tour. Operating structure is Farfadais and Co. SARL, a privately held French limited liability company with no disclosed external investors or parent company, retaining full creative and operational control with the founding brothers. The team comprises 50+ artists plus backstage staff (choreographer, stage manager, costume designer, administrator, customer relations manager), with a senior artistic team including personnel previously affiliated with Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity, Momix, Pilobolus, Paris Opera, Folies Bergère, and Walt Disney Parks.

Name

Les Farfadais

Legal name

Farfadais and Co. SARL

Website

https://farfadais.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Les Farfadais is a French contemporary circus troupe founded in 1998 that produces cirque nouveau shows featuring custom-built apparatus, aerial acrobatics, and handmade costumes for corporate events, theaters, festivals, and public ticketed residencies across Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Circus Entertainment

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Dance Companies (71112)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circus, Magic & Variety Shows (THAJAFAH), Cabarets & Variety Nightlife (MPAGAIAI), Touring & Production Services (Staging, Lighting, Sound, Video) (MPAIAFAF), VIP Hospitality & Client Entertainment (Boxes, Suites, Hosted Experiences) (MPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Contemporary circus performances
• Aerial acrobatics shows
• Corporate event entertainment
• Circus troupe acts
• Live performance productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Le Palais-sur-vienne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Live Performance Bookings: Revenue generated from booking full shows, individual circus acts, and themed performances for corporate galas, private events, public festivals, and theater residencies. Pricing is custom/quote-based depending on event scope, location, and number of artists.
2. Ticket Sales for Public Shows: Direct ticket revenue from public performances including the AirOtic Soirée cabaret (running in Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, Lisboa), festival shows (Éveil, Vitrail, Âme), and other touring productions. Tickets sold through dedicated portals and third-party platforms.
3. Custom / On-Brand Performances: Custom circus acts and full shows created to client specifications — themed performances, corporate branding in colors/logo, VIP welcoming staging — for enterprises, municipalities, event agencies, and works councils.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Les Farfadais is a contemporary cirque nouveau company that creates, produces, and tours full theatrical circus shows and individual circus acts (aerial, hoop, rope, straps, pole dance, hand-to-hand). The company sells its productions to corporate clients (galas, branded events, VIP receptions), private individuals (weddings, birthdays), public audiences via ticketed cabaret-circus residencies (AirOtic Soirée), and theaters and festivals via full-show touring. All apparatus and over 1,000 costumes are designed and fabricated in-house.

Product overview

Les Farfadais is a contemporary circus company offering a diverse portfolio of live performance products. The company produces full theatrical shows (Âme, AirOtic, Éveil, Vitrail, Euphoria, Chronos, Mana) featuring spectacular circus acts combined with elaborate scenography, live music, and visual effects. These shows incorporate 16 distinct circus acts/numbers (La baignoire, Calice, Cercle d'amour, Cœur, Corde, Diva volante, Étoile de Mer, Grande roue, Lit, Ovum, Pole dance, Rose, Sangles, Sirènes, Spirale, Toupie) performed both on the ground and in the air. The company also offers character categories including tall stilt characters, oversized inflatable puppets from various realms, and hybrid creature costumes for events. Services include corporate events, gala performances, private celebrations, and custom show creation for clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AirOtic Soirée: A sensual and burlesque style cabaret experience
• Âme
• Éveil
• Vitrail
• Mana
• Euphoria
• Chronos
• Tease

Products and services

• Âme

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Opéra National de PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigious French opera house that has featured the company's performances. Represents a marquee partnership with one of France's highest-profile cultural institutions, signaling artistic credibility.
• Club MedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal hospitality company featuring Les Farfadais entertainment at its resorts.
• Alexis GrussminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigious French traditional circus family and brand with which Les Farfadais has a recognized partnership within the French circus industry.
• Française des Jeux (FDJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench national lottery and gaming company. Les Farfadais performed at FDJ corporate events and were featured in the FDJ summer tour.
• Disneyland PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier European theme park and entertainment resort featuring Les Farfadais as part of its entertainment offering.
• Celebrity CruisesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxury cruise line featuring Les Farfadais entertainment aboard its ships.
• Riyadh SeasonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLarge-scale Saudi entertainment and tourism festival featuring Les Farfadais as part of its international programming.
• AtlantisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResort and entertainment destination featuring Les Farfadais performances.
• FeverminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEntertainment discovery platform that features and promotes Les Farfadais shows to its user base.
• Teatro Celebrazioni (Bologna)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian theater that has included Les Farfadais' Âme production in its 2026/2027 dance season subscription programming, representing a significant artistic partnership for the company's international expansion.
• Teatro Arcimboldi (Milan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Milan theater hosting the Âme show premiere on September 26, 2026.
• Parsec EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company credited as the producer of the Âme show, partnering with Les Farfadais on the creation and international touring of this production.
• Verona Box OfficeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian ticket sales platform distributing Les Farfadais show tickets in the Verona region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Fever: Madrid-headquartered live-entertainment discovery and ticketing platform distributing Les Farfadais's shows to consumers. Not a producer, but a key distribution and demand-generation partner comparable to other live-experiences aggregators (TodayTix, Eventbrite) Les Farfadais could leverage for additional DTC channels.

Broad incumbents

• Cirque du Soleil: The dominant global contemporary circus operator with resident and touring productions (O, KÀ, Alegria). Overlaps directly with Les Farfadais on the cirque nouveau category, premium corporate entertainment, and theatrical residency programming, but operates at vastly larger scale with permanent show infrastructure.
• Dragone Entertainment: Belgian-founded creative entertainment studio producing large-scale resident shows for resorts and theaters (Celine Dion, The Han Show, Mad Apple). Broadly incumbent in the live spectacular-theater category, often competing for the same Vegas-tier and resort venue slots that touch Les Farfadais's Atlantis and cruise-line business.

Direct peers

• Cavalia: A Montreal-based touring spectacle company (acrobats, riders, live music under a big-top and in arenas). Closely comparable as a premium live-entertainment touring operator leveraging custom staging, theatrical storytelling, and international venue scheduling—competing for festival and theater bookings against Les Farfadais.
• Les 7 Doigts de la Main: Montreal-based contemporary circus company producing original touring shows (Traces, Sequence, Cuisine & Confessions, Passengers). Directly comparable as a cirque nouveau troupe delivering full theatrical productions and bespoke corporate performances, competing for the same theaters and cultural festival slots in Europe and North America.
• Cirque Éloize: Montreal contemporary circus company known for shows like iD, Saloon, and Hotel. Directly competes in the same cirque nouveau space, producing touring theatrical productions with mixed circus disciplines and partnering with theaters, festivals, and corporate clients similar to Les Farfadais.
• Compagnia Finzi Pasca: Swiss-Italian theater company producing surreal, acrobatic, theatrical spectacles (Lü, Corteo for Cirque du Soleil, Donna Summer Musical). Directly comparable as an auteur-driven circus-theater hybrid with comparable ticket/residency model and Italian/European theater presence overlapping Les Farfadais's Âme and Éveil tour geography.

Emerging players

• La Clique / La Soirée: Cabaret-circus variety show formats touring internationally (Edinburgh Fringe, London, New York, touring). Partial overlap with Les Farfadais's AirOtic Soirée burlesque-circus positioning and a comparable adult-nightlife + circus-aerial offering targeting premium ticketed audiences.

Regional players

• Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione: Historic French traditional circus anchored at the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris and touring a long-form traditional show. Comparable as a French-headquartered circus operator with national seasonal programming, though operating in traditional rather than cirque nouveau style and competing primarily within the French market.
• Cirque Roncalli: Germany-based artistic circus run by Bernhard Paul, known for poetic, theatrically styled touring productions with horses and aerialists. Comparable as a European artistic circus with a similar touring-theater model, though primarily active in DACH rather than France/Italy/US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LesFarfadais
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-farfadais
• Instagraminstagram.com/les_farfadais
• TikToktiktok.com/@lesfarfadais

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Les Farfadais